Amor Prohibido
by She Has Telekinesis
Summary: "We are not dating, and we're not even friends. And that's not going to change," She sighed, taking a few steps out of the room. "So please, just drop it." Amor Prohibido: (English translation: Forbidden Love) Cedric x Hermione
1. Chapter 1

****IMPORTANT****

**This is my very first attempt at writing a story for the Harry Potter fandom. To say I'm nervous would be an understatement. Given that this is my first time, I'm hoping ya'll will bear with me on this one, and give the story (and myself) a chance. I have been a fan for the past 10+ years of my life.  
>The current plan for this story is that I'm aiming to finish it by next year, and if the story is well received, there could be a sequel. It just depends on how far I get along with the plot here. Of course, this is the Goblet of Fire era. So Hermione is in her fourth year; whilst Cedric is in his sixth.<strong>

**If any sequels occur, it will be the following school year (The Order of the Phoenix)  
>It also depends on Cedric's fate. I'm still unsure whether he should live or die. Though I love the character of Cedric dearly, shit happens.<br>This chapter is shortly after the first task; before the Yule Ball.  
>(After November 24th)<strong>

**I'll stop rambling, and I hope you all enjoy!**

Fifteen year old Hermione Granger sat in her usual spot in the library; a lone table that sat encased between three bookshelves. Hermione had always occupied this table. Since it was hidden from view, it was almost always empty for her to be able to enjoy her quiet while she studied. Though her schedule tended to be a bit wacky at times, she was able to come here for at least one period a day. Which was usually late morning, or in some cases, right before dinner. Thankfully while she was here, nobody seemed to need a book from these particular sections. One day she decided to look around, just to see what types of books were here, and if there were any that she _hasn't_ read yet. She found that these books were old. Older than her grandparents, and they were surely outdated. Maybe that's the reason nobody ever comes to look back here, she thought to herself. How reliable could these books actually be? Many things have changed since they have been publish-

The fourth year's thoughts were interrupted by the highly obnoxious laughter of a group of students. Letting her quill slip from her fingers, she looked up from her Charms essay to see what all the commotion was about. Surely she wasn't the only student here? If so, Madam Pince wouldn't put up with it for too long. If not, she would have no other choice but to confront them herself. Running her hand through her hair in frustration she tried to read over what she had already written. Naturally, the essay wasn't due for another few days. But being Hermione, she was already half-way finished. She just needed to further explain why the summoning charm is such an importance in the modern world.

Noting that the obnoxious laughter has stopped, she picked up her quill and began to write. Her hand slowly became to cramp up after writing for so long without a break. Deciding that she has written enough for one day, she finished her sentence and set her quill down, leaning back against her seat, rubbing her hand gingerly while she skimmed over the parchment. Satisfied she gathered up her supplies, clinging them to her chest while she maneuvered her way out of the sanctuary of her hidden cove.

While she walked, she checked the clock on the wall just ahead of her, finding that dinner would be starting in just under ten minutes. She figured she could stop by her dormitory to drop off her stuff, and maybe walk with one of her close friends to the great hall afterwards. Deep in thought, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. She turned the corner, only for her shoe to catch onto the edge of the bookshelf. she lurched forward, her arms instinctively reaching forward to block her fall; ultimately dropping her book, quill, and jar of ink. Which rolled away from the area of impact, the jar still thankfully intact.

The fourth year laid there for a moment, before pushing herself off of the floor, sitting up on her knees. Though she was lucky enough to avoid hitting her head, she still felt a slight pang of dizziness course through her skull. Embarrassed, her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, scrambling to her feet, hoping that nobody was around to witness her tumble. She gathered her supplied quickly, reaching up with one hand to attempt a fix at her hair. While doing so, she felt a presence make itself known from behind her. Turning slightly she looked to see a tall, light brown-haired boy staring down at her. Once her eyes adjusted, she realized it was none other than Cedric Diggory. Sixth year Hufflepuff Seeker, and newly appointed Triwizard champion. She secretly hoped that he didn't see that, she assumed that he was here to maybe crack a joke about her fall. She didn't know him all that well, besides the obvious of course. And since he was one of the popular boys, it would make sense that he would act like a total git.

Looking up at him, she took a step back, noticing that he was really close to her. A girl needed her space. And he was definitely invading it.

"Are you okay?" the Hufflepuff asked, bending down to scoop up her jar of ink, that she somehow forgotten to pick up. Handing it to her, she took it and held onto it tightly. Avoiding his gaze she took another step back, until they were arms length apart.

"How much of that did you see?" she asked, hoping that he didn't actually _see_ her fall. Having not seen any of it would have been better, but that was not the case. Why else would he have asked her if she was alright?

"All of it," He replied, noting that she backed away from him. If anything he was accustomed to having girls move _closer_. He didn't particularly like that. He enjoyed his space as much as the next person. But it was also abnormal for that to happen. He tried not to let it bother him too much.

Hermione, with burning cheeks cleared her throat, looking away from the sixth year. He _had_ seen her fall. He witnessed all of it.

"Oh. I'm okay, thank you." She said hastily, turning away from him. "Thanks for your concern, it's much appreciated." Wanting to get out there as quick as possible, she hightailed for the door, she hadn't meant to be rude, but for some reason the thought of him watching her fall infuriated and upset her all at the same time. Deciding that there was now only three minutes until dinner, she would have to arrive after Harry and Ronald instead of walking down with them.

After tossing her books onto her bed, which was not Hermione's style at all (she was always neat and tidy) , she walked down to the Great hall, where the students chatted happily and ate their evening meal. She spotted Harry, Ronald, and Ginny immediately, the red hair of the two siblings immediately stood out. Making her way over to them she sat herself right next to Harry, facing the Slytherin table. While Ron and Ginny faced the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws. Ron, who was eating two chicken legs at once, acknowledged her presence with a nod, whilst Harry and Ginny, who ate like normal human beings said 'hello'.

"Where have you been?" Ginny asked, picking up her goblet of pumpkin juice. "We were waiting to walk down with you, but we didn't know what you were up to so we just came down." She took a small sip, watching Hermione.

"Um, I just got caught up at the library," The fourth year answered, not wanting to go into details about her embarrassing encounter with the Hufflepuff.

"I told you guys that's where she would be," Ron said, picking up his fork. Ginny rolled her eyes, watching him shovel mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Could you be any more of a pig?" She asked in disgust, turning her head to look away. It was a rather disgusting sight, Hermione thought to herself. Ronald didn't have table manners, at least here at Hogwarts. She was almost positive Mrs. Weasley wouldn't put up with his sloppy eating in her kitchen.

"Shut it," Ron mumbled, turning his attention back to his plate.

"Why is Diggory staring this way?" the red-head male asked, staring in the direction of the Hufflepuff table.

Hermione turned, not bothering to be discreet. She caught the eye of the older Hufflepuff, who when he realized that he had been spotted, turned his attention back to his friend, who was levitating his utensils all at the same time. Frowning, she turned her attention back to her plate, picking at her corn with her fork.

"Is it me or was he looking at Hermione?" Ginny asked, not bothering to hide her smirk. Both Harry and Ron turned to look at the brunette.

"Don't look at me. You must be hallucinating, Ginny."

"Hermione, he was looking in this general direction." said Harry, who has remained quiet throughout the entire conversation. "Are you friends with the bloke?" He asked, briefly looking behind him.

"Harry we've barely even talked, honestly."

"Then why would he looking over here then?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know, but can we please just _drop _it?" Hermione said, starting to become irritated from all the ridiculous questions. Cedric Diggory would never consider being her friend. Much less talk to her. He only asked if she was okay because he was just being friendly. If she was being honest with herself, that is the only reason why he would ever talk to her.

Thankfully they dropped it after that.

After dinner, the golden trio began to walk to the Gryffindor common room, making short conversation along the way about the essay they had to write for Charms class. Both Harry and Ron have not even started yet. Hermione hoped they didn't expect her to start it for them. They were grown boys, they could do their work without her help!

"Hey Hermione, listen," Began Ron, but Hermione already knew what he was going to ask.

"Do you need help starting it, Ronald?" She asked, slightly irritated.

"Would you?" The redhead asked, a slightly hopeful expression upon his face. "I just need help starting it, I could do the rest, I just need your advice.." He trailed off, staring straight ahead as they edged closer to the Hufflepuff common room, that was located in the basement. Apparently done on the subject of their homework, he reached behind Hermione and nudged Harry on the shoulder. "Hey mate, isn't that Cho Chang?"

Cho Chang was Harry's new, when did this happen, crush. He didn't fully come out and say it, but Hermione being her clever self, was able to figure it out when she caught him repeatedly staring at her in the corridors, in the great hall, and during the quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw last school year. The only people who knew about this was the golden trio themselves. Harry was very private, and he didn't want everybody in the entire school to know that he had a crush on a girl. Especially an older Ravenclaw. Not that there was something wrong with being a Ravenclaw of course.

Looking ahead Hermione did spot Cho Chang, who was snogging nobody other than Cedric Diggory. Making a noise of disgust, Hermione turned away, not understanding why students felt the need to show PDA in the middle of the hallways. She really didn't mind, but it was the fact that they were clearly engaged in some rather hardcore kissing. It seemed as if they were trying to eat each others faces.

"Yeah, but she's with Diggory," Harry said, sounding very gloomy. "When did that happen?"

"I don't know mate, but don't sweat it, once he is finished with her she will be single again. I give it a week." Ronald said.

Hermione, who couldn't help but glare at the Gryffindor boy for a moment, began to walk ahead of the two boys. Why did he always have to be so rude? Hermione could swear he is incapable of having feelings.

Once they finally got back into the common room, they stayed for a few hours, lounging by the fire to converse with their friends. Hermione couldn't help but notice that Ginny kept giving her looks on occasion. The Gryffindor girl huffed in frustration, crossing her arms over her chest as she listened to the boys talk about the next Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. After a short while, she stood up, bidding them goodnight, though they gave her a brief 'goodnight' they immediately jumped back into their conversation. Hermione went to her dormitory, digging out her pajamas and quickly put them on. Folding her clothes neatly, she stuffed them into her trunk.

Climbing into her four poster she dug out her favorite book; _Hogwarts: A History _by Bathilda Bagshot. Flipping to chapter 16 she quietly began to read, savouring the peace and quiet for herself, that won't last too long considering her roommates would arrive any minute. She was alone for about twenty minutes time, before her quiet was interrupted by the giggling of two of her roommates, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil.

"Hermiooonee," Lavender sang, plopping down on her bed that was beside Hermione's. "We were talking to Ginny Weasley before we came up here," She grinned, looking back at Parvati, who in turn, grinned at her as well. Turning her attention back to Hermione she continued to grin. "And she said that Cedric Diggory was staring at you at dinner earlier," The two girls giggled in unison.

Hermione shut her book, deciding that she would have to have a word with Ginny later. Setting it on the floor beside her she curled up with her pillow, desperately wanting to avoid this conversation.

"He wasn't staring at me, Ginny is just going crazy," She objected.

"So are you guys dating?" Parvati asked, sitting on Lavenders bed as well, resting her chin on her knees.

"No! We've barely even spoken. Besides, he's dating Cho Chang." Hermione said, getting off of her bed. "No if you'll excuse me I have to go brush my teeth," the brunette said, starting for the door.

"So you guys aren't dating?" Lavender asked, sounding disappointed.

"No, we're not. And even if we were it would be nobody's business but ours."

Gasping, the blonde Gryffindor stood up, running for the door, intentionally blocking Hermione from exiting the room. "So you guys are friends? You want to date him? Hermione, you dating an older man!?" She grinned, looking over at the raven haired girl on her bed. "I told you it was true."

The brunette huffed in frustration, rubbing her hands over her face. "No! Didn't you hear me? We have barely spoken and he's dating Cho Chang!" she cried out, hoping that they would just leave it alone.

"Cho _Chang?_ As in the asian Ravenclaw?" Parvati asked, a slight frown upon her features.

"Is she really Asian?"

"Does it matter?" Hermione snapped, walking around Lavender, opening the door. "We are not dating, and we're not even friends. And that's not going to change," She sighed, taking a few steps out of the room. "So please, just drop it." She said, shutting the door, cutting off any line of communication between the two girls on the other side of the door.

And she thought _boys_ were bad.

**Okay! That was the first chapter. I hope it wasn't too short for you guys, but I think that I have stressed Hermione out enough for one night! Anyways, let me know what you think, and I hoped you guys liked it. More to come, you just have to leave me some love first so I know if I should continue this or not! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Sadly I do not own Harry Potter, it all belongs to the wonderful and talented J.K Rowling.**

**x Enjoy x **

The next day, Hermione didn't want to get out of bed. She felt that if she did, Ginny would want to chat with her about last nights events. Not that there was anything to talk about of course. But considering there was a heavy belief that Hermione finally found a boyfriend, there was the looming threat of a conversation that she would be more than happy to avoid. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Ginny per se, but she just didn't like what she would most likely want to talk _about._

Knowing that she couldn't skip her classes, she tossed her covers off of her body and got out of bed. She was the only one in the room, the others must have gone down to breakfast already. Not wanting to waste any more time, she dug into her trunk and grabbed her outfit for the day. Classes didn't start until 9 AM, so she had enough time to get herself ready to face the day. Taking her bag of toiletries she went to the girls' bathroom, neatly brushing her hair (though it wouldn't stay neat for too long) and quickly brushed her teeth.

On her way down to the Great Hall, she made sure to be extremely careful to watch her steps. She didn't want to have another repeat of yesterday's events. And with her luck, instead of one person seeing all of it, it would have been a group of students who were more than likely to laugh at her instead of helping her up. Especially if they were Slytherins. They would be more than happy to laugh and tease her for weeks over it. It wouldn't be the first time.  
>When she got to the Gryffindor table she sat down next to Harry, who was staring at his bowl of porridge, his spoon lightly stirring the oatmeal around in its dish. Ron was nowhere to be found.<p>

"Where is Ron?" Hermione asked, taking a piece of toast off of the rack in front of them, taking a small bite.

"He already ate. He didn't tell me where he was going.. All he said was that he will see me later in Potions, and then he left." Harry said, looking at Hermione briefly before continuing to stir his food.

"Are you okay, Harry?" The brunette asked, a slight frown upon her features. She was worried. "Did something happen with Sirius? Is your scar hurting? Is it the next task?" She asked, not able to help herself from bombarding him with questions. He was her best friend, and she wanted to know if something was bothering him. She always wanted to help him in every way she could.

"No, Sirius is fine, at least I think he is.." He sighed, dropping his spoon and pushed his bowl away from him. "It's not those things. I don't know, I think I'm jealous of Cedric."

Hermione, who was slightly shocked only because Harry was jealous. _Jealous_. When has Harry ever been jealous of somebody else? If anything, they were usually jealous of him because he was famous for being the one who destroyed Voldemort all of those years ago. But this was new. And the Gryffindor thought she knew why he was 'jealous'.

"Why? Because he is with Cho Chang?" She asked, not able to hold back her astonishment. "Oh Harry, Cho is just a girl."

Giving her a sour look, Harry shrugged and stood up from the table, sneaking a glance over at the Ravenclaw table. He scowled, before he took a piece of toast. "I'll see you in potions," He said, leaving before Hermione could say anything. Sighing, the Gryffindor girl turned and took her goblet of pumpkin juice, taking a small sip as she observed the room. Against her better judgement she just happened to be sitting across from the Hufflepuff table. Not being able to control herself, she casually let her eyes wander over the students chatting and eating their breakfast, taking small sips from her cup. Who was she looking for exactly? She didn't know. There's nothing wrong with just _looking_ right? It doesn't have to be a particular person, or thing.

Her eyes met with a pair of grey orbs.

She blinked; fascinated by their color.

They crinkled slightly.

She blinked again.

She felt something tap her shoulder.

They were_ watching_ her.

"Hermione!" A female's voice said, something sharp poking her in her side.

"Ouch!" the bookworm hissed, her eyes sliding away from the misty grey ones. Turning around she glared at a third year with red hair, who's eyebrow perked up in curiosity; a grin playing on her lips.

"Are you going deaf? I kept calling and calling you but you wouldn't answer," She said, sitting down in Harry's spot. "I thought you were daydreaming or something." The redhead said, looking over in the direction that Hermione was staring at moments before. Rubbing her side, Hermione looked over as well, noticing that the grey eyes were no longer looking at her. As a matter of fact, they were nowhere to be seen. Frowning slightly, she looked around, secretly hoping that whoever those captivating eyes belonged to was still in the vicinity of the Great Hall.

"So what were you looking at?"

"Nothing.. I was just thinking," Hermione said, tearing her eyes away from the door. She felt very.. odd. She was feeling something that she had never felt before. It wasn't a pleasurable feeling per se.. But she still could not figure out what it was that felt like her heart just dropped in her chest.

Meanwhile, sixth year Cedric Diggory stood outside of the doors to the Great Hall; his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He got caught staring at that Granger girl again. And it was actually _her_ that spotted him, not one of her friends as it happened that way the night before. He was actually trying to look for Cho, because she had not come down to breakfast yet, and he was waiting to see when she would come into the hall to eat. But instead his eyes drifted over to the Gryffindor table; where the pretty brunette sat drinking her morning juice. He tried looking away, he really did. But something about her just completely captivated him..

His thoughts were briefly disturbed when he felt a hand on his back, gently rubbing along his spine. A bit caught off guard he turned his body a little faster than what he wanted, only to find that his girlfriend Cho was there, a big smile on her face. Cho always had a contagious smile, so he couldn't help himself to smile back. She stood on her tip toes, giving him a brief peck on the lips. He returned the kiss, trying to ignore the stirring, rather unfriendly feeling in his gut.

"Good morning," She mumbled against his lips, pulling away with a big smile. He smiled as well, though his was just not as authentic as hers. Something was bothering him, in the deep pits of his stomach he felt rather... Queasy. And he didn't like that feeling; he was usually a very happy person. But this was most certainly not happy, and it did not make him feel good in any way whatsoever.

"Mornin'" He said after she pulled away, taking her hand in his.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked, bringing their intertwined hands up to press her lips against his knuckles.

"I've had better nights, how about you?"

After lunch, Hermione tried her best to get away from Lavender and Parvati, who still continued to question her about her 'relationship' with Cedric. She didn't even _have_ a relationship with the boy, not in any way whatsoever. Nothing she said seemed to process in their brains. She began to wonder if there was any brain _in_ their skull. She liked them, she did, they were really good friends. But they just would not leave her alone. She was beginning to think that if they didn't get any 'true' answers out of her any time soon, they may or may not go and interrogate Cedric over it. She should warn him about their prying minds. But how is she supposed to approach him with that?

_Oh, hey Cedric. I know we barely know each other but my roommates are convinced we are dating so if they come asking about us just say no. I can't make any guarantees that they would leave so easily though!_

The only good that would come out of that is that he would have taken the weight off of her shoulders for just a little while. But they would come back sooner than later.

Knowing that she was done with classes for the day, she took her books upstairs and placed them in her trunk. She took out her Charms essay, her quill, and her jar of ink. On her way down she ran into Ronald and Harry, who were deeply involved in a game of Wizarding Chess.

"I'm going to the library," She announced.

"Okay," The two boys said in unison, not bothering to take their eyes off of the board.

Rolling her eyes she made her way out of the portrait hole, keeping her belongings close to her. The floors in the library were carpeted, but out here they were made out of pure brick and concrete. And she was running dangerously low on ink. The next trip to Hogsmeade wasn't for another week, so she may have to borrow some from Harry or Ron. She made a mental note to ask her parents to send her some pens. The ones she brought with her at the start of term have all gone missing. Making her way into the library, she briefly waved to Mrs. Pince, before going in the direction of her little cove.

But when she got there, a boy was sitting. Flipping through the pages of his ratty old textbook. Deep in thought. Hermione, who didn't like sharing this spot with anybody else, (when she came with Ronald and Harry they sat at a different table) , she felt that maybe she should just _ask_ if she could sit down. He was alone, and he seemed to be very quiet. Taking a deep breath she walked up to the boy, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around, a little irritated that he had been interrupted.

The Gryffindor gasped.

It's the grey eyes.

The ones from this morning.

They're more beautiful up close..

Something waved in front of her face.

She blinked.

It was a hand.

"Hello? Are you okay?" A male asked, his voice thick with concern.

"Oh.. I'm okay," She said, not quite tearing her gaze off of the figure sitting in front of her.

"Can I help you with something?"

Hermione snapped out of her trance. She blinked, watching as the boy frowned, his forehead wrinkling while doing so.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" She asked, gesturing to the empty seat next to him.

Cedric smiled, moving his bag out of the way; setting it on the floor beside him. "No, go right ahead."

Being relieved that he didn't turn her away she sat down. Opening up her jar she set it a side, not caring to notice that the grey eyed Hufflepuff was watching her. He watched her prepare for a few moments, before he turned back to his Herbology textbook. Trying to find the physical characteristics of a Venomous Tentacula. They were going to begin this unit next week, and he wasn't exactly sure that they looked like. Madam Pomfrey refused to show them her own collection until then, so he had no other choice than to look on his own.

Meanwhile, the Gryffindor girl started on her essay, explaining that the use for the summoning charm could be very useful during dangerous situations; but could also be consequential doing it in the presence of a muggle. Especially if that witch or wizard was underage. She was able to write a good paragraph or so, before the light clearing of a throat caught her attention. Looking up from her piece of parchment she looked to the Hufflepuff beside her, who held out a brand new jar of ink. Frowning, Hermione reached forward and grabbed her own, looking inside only to find that it was completely out. She had used the rest of it to write that damn paragraph.

She took it from him, noticing that it was a bigger size than what she originally had. Making it more expensive nonetheless.

"I noticed that you were out of ink," the Hufflepuff said, nodding towards her now empty jar. "I thought that you could use that, for now, to hold you over." He smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

Taking a deep breath she looked down at the object in her hand, gently twisting open the lid; revealing the thick, black, velvety texture of fine ink. She looked up at him, closing the lid and attempted to give it back. "No, I couldn't take it. It's yours, and it's clearly expensive. I have other writing tools I could use." She said, knowing perfectly well that was a lie. But what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Or so she thought.

"No please, i insist," Cedric said, handing her back the jar. "You can just return it to me when you're done. Or better yet, you could just keep it. God knows I have enough of them stashed in my trunk." He said, marking the page in his book before closing it. He brought it to his lap, glancing over her essay. "What are you writing about?" He asked, his eyebrow twitching as he skimmed over her parchment.

"It's my essay. For charms, uh, the Summoning charm." She said, knowing that Cedric was well educated enough to know what she was talking about. "How it could be useful but also quite risky at the same time. I'm pretty much done, I'm just covering how troubling it could be to use it in a possibly life threatening situation involving muggles." She said, wondering if he even cared about all of this.

"Accio?" the boy asked, watching her curls bounce as she nodded; completely captivated. Cho had shiny, sleek, black hair. Hermione's was brown, with little blonde highlights. Her hair was curly, and a little messy. Definitely the complete opposite of Cho's.

"Yeah. Accio." She confirmed, her eyes sliding away from his gaze.

"Are you guys just now covering this?" The Hufflepuff asked.

"Yeah, we are. Why?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. I just assumed you have already been taught this. Harry used it in the first task - in order to collect his broom. Correct?" The male asked. Though he wasn't able to watch how Harry had done due to the fact that Madam Pomfrey was tending to the burns on his cheek, he had heard a great deal about Harry's miraculous performance later on that night.

"Harry and I did a lot of research to find that spell. We practiced in empty classrooms during our free periods. Sometimes throughout the day too, it just depended on whether we had free time." The Gryffindor girl said, letting herself become carried away again.

"Wow. I'm impressed, usually underclassmen don't hear about that spell until later in their fourth year. I stumbled upon it by accident while I was researching the unlocking charm in my first year. I thought it sounded pretty interesting, so I practiced with my belongings up in my dormitory that night. it didn't work out that well though, sadly I wasn't concentrating hard enough and I barely had enough power to lift up a quill," The boy sighed, thinking back to that dreadful night in his first year. "After a good ten tries or so I got frustrated and instead of summoning my quill I picked up my roommates Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. Long story short I ended up with a black eye, and a broken window." The sixth year winced.

Hermione, who was not at all expecting a full blown story couldn't help but giggle at his expense.

"Did you get into trouble?" She asked.

"I got a week's worth of detention for destruction of school property," He took a deep breath, checking his watch. He was supposed to meet Cho at the beginning of fifth period to walk her to her final class. He looked at the fourth year beside him, not really wanting to leave just yet. But he had made a promise to Cho, and he couldn't break it.

"I suspect that you are leaving?" Hermione asked, feeling a slight pang of hurt course through her body. This confused her heavily; they only talked for a few moments. And it wasn't anything personal really, it was just a friendly conversation.

"Yeah, I have to take Cho to her next class." He said, slinging his back over his shoulder, picking up his book.

"Oh, okay. Well.. thanks for the ink," Hermione said, looking over at her new yet unused jar.

"Anytime, I'll see you around, Granger." he said, giving her a smile before he walked away, heading for his _girlfriend's_ class.

**Considering by the amount of Favs and Subscriptions I have already, I think it is safe to say**

**that this story may be able to succeed! YES.  
>I'll try posting once a week, but no more than two chapters a week (unless needed) <strong>

**I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you again in a few days!  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Sadly I do not own Harry Potter, it all belongs to the wonderful and talented J.K. Rowling**

**x Enjoy x**

**Note: This chapter was meant to be posted on Thursday (9/18)  
>But I fell behind, and the chapter wasn't completed until today.<br>I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.**

Later on that same day, Cedric couldn't seem to stop his mind from wandering to a certain fourth year Gryffindor. His girlfriend, Cho Chang, was in her last class of the day. She told him not to worry about coming to get her, simply because she was going to hang out with her girlfriends before dinner. He agreed, deciding that he could make an attempt to figure out the egg in the meantime. He still had a few months until the second task, but he couldn't figure out how to keep the egg from blowing out his eardrums when he opened it. He wondered if the other three champions had the same problem that he did, or if they had found out how to keep it from screaming at them every time they opened it. The day he found out how to succeed in this task would be a miracle.

He took a deep breath, reaching forward to take the golden egg off of the small table in front of him. He looked around the Hufflepuff common room, noting that he was alone. Which was odd, since the fifth and sixth years were finished with their lessons already, he decided to take advantage of his lonesome and take another crack at the egg. Placing his hand over the knob on the top, he twisted it, feeling his ears close up automatically when the high pitched screeching filled the small common room; bouncing off of the walls, going right into his ears.

He closed it, gasping as the room suddenly became quiet; his ears painfully ringing. He set it back on the table, thinking that was enough for now. His attempts to think of anybody but _her_ had failed miserably.

_Merlin, you don't even know the girl. And you can't stop thinking about her? _

The Hufflepuff sighed and stood up from his chair, wondering if she would still be in the library. He wanted to go back, but if she was there, he would have a bloody hell of a time trying to stay away. Cho was most definitely the jealous type. What would she say if she had found out Cedric was following Granger around like a lost puppy?

_Exactly, how would she find out?_

_Good point._

Hermione stayed in the library the rest of the period, not able to forget the smile that Cedric had flashed her before he left. She wasn't one to think about boys, but she just couldn't stop thinking about him. And she didn't even know the guy, but she couldn't stop thinking about him.. and that smile.

After the period was over, she gathered up her now finished essay and her supplies and headed out into the corridors. There was still one period of the day left, and by that time it would be time for dinner. She still had time to kill before then. Harry and Ronald were probably continuing their game, or at least in the middle of another. Hermione really wished Harry would start on trying to figure out the egg. But since there was still three more months until the second task, he would just brush her off, and ultimately wait last minute to try and figure it out. She knew Harry, and that is exactly what will happen.

When she got into the Gryffindor common room, they were just finishing up their game. They barely acknowledged her presence when she walked by. Not that she cared much, but they could at least say _hi._

Taking her stuff up to her room, she opened the door to find Lavender and Parvati talking quietly on Lavender's bed, immediately stopping once Hermione had entered the room. The brunette stayed in the doorway for a moment, watching as they fell silent in their small dormitory. The bookworm had a feeling they were talking about something private. Or maybe they were talking about her.

"Hi.." The girls said, turning slightly in their spots to look at Hermione.

"Hello.." She said wearily, stepping into the room to go to her bed. She set her stuff into her trunk, trying to hide her suspicion of the two girls. She didn't want them to think she was trying to eavesdrop. She wanted to hurry and get back downstairs to her boys.

The blonde haired witch cleared her throat. Hermione turned and stood up, heading for the door.

"Can we talk to you for a second, Hermione?" Lavender asked before she could exit. The young Gryffindor stopped in her tracks, reluctantly turning to look at the two girls.

"What is it?"

The blonde haired witch assessed her for a second, opening her mouth briefly to speak, before shutting it.

"Never mind."

_Okay then._

"Who were you sitting with in the library?" Cedric's fellow Hufflepuff friend, Dean Salvatore asked as they sat down at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall. Cedric paused, staring at his empty plate in front of him, not wanting to look at the blonde haired boy beside him. Dean wasn't one for reading, or studying for that matter. He would rather be dead than to be caught checking out a book in the library.

"Whoever said I was in the library?" Cedric asked, not wanting to talk about this. If somebody over heard he was sitting with Hermione Granger in the library, it would undoubtedly get back to Cho, who would not take it lightly. That's just how she was. And he did not want to deal with her jealousy, and her petty arguments.

"Marissa was in there, and she told me she saw you," The blonde Hufflepuff said, reaching outwards to take a piece of bread off of the table. "You know how she is in love with books, she reads three at a time, and she doesn't give them a rest, so naturally she spotted you in the library, sitting next to somebody who is not Cho."

Cedric took a deep breath. Marissa was Dean's girlfriend, though she was a very bright witch, she was one for gossiping and bending the truth. She was a Ravenclaw fifth year, who couldn't keep her mouth shut to save her life. She honestly was not a bad person, but Cedric could only take so much. Dean was the complete opposite, he was a good student of course, he just did not like to read, and had a knack for getting into trouble. But he knew when to keep his mouth shut, and he knew when things weren't his business. Frankly they balanced each other out very well.

"So who was it?"

"I can't wait for dessert," Cedric said, frowning at his plate.

"Come on Ced, just tell me, or I'll find out myself," Dean said, clearly becoming agitated with his Hufflepuff friend. He was a man of his word.

Cedric pretended not to hear, stirring his plate full of Shepards Pie. He wasn't sure what he would do, but he knew he would have to cave in and tell him eventually.

"Okay," the blonde Hufflepuff said, getting up from his seat, standing upon the bench where he was sitting just moments before. He overlooked the Great Hall, ignoring the looks from the Professors up at the head table. They were clearly unamused, besides Dumbledore, who had a twinkle in his eye.

"Attention Hogwarts! If anybody could tell me the young woman who accompanied my friend Ced-"

Cedric grabbed onto the leg of his fellow friend, and tugged him down into his seat. Dean landed unsteadily onto his arse, causing himself to fall backwards onto the floor beneath him. The Hufflepuff table exploded into laughter, followed by the Houses as well. Cedric, who couldn't help but chuckle at his friend, helped him back into his seat. He hadn't meant to hurt the fellow, but he didn't want Dean calling him out in front of the entire school.

"Oi! What was that for?" Dean asked, straightening his shirt while the laughter died down. He was not amused, unlike the other students who laughed at his expense.

"It was for blurting my business in front of God and everybody!" The sixth year said, all traces of humor erased from his features.

"I wouldn't have to if you just told me who you were with mate," The boy said, "It's not like I will tell anybody!"

"Yes, yes I know,"

"I know you know, so who was it? And don't bloody lie to me." Dean said, scooping his own food into his mouth. He ate like a pig.

"I was with Hermione Granger," Cedric said, causing a few heads to turn at the mentioning of a fellow Gryffindor.

Dean, who was not expecting that answer, dropped his spoon and looked at his friend, mashed potatoes dribbling down his chin. Cedric wrinkled his nose, looking away to the Gryffindor table. Hermione's back was turned to him, but he could see her shoulders visibly shaking, obviously laughing with her friends.

"Granger? As in Harry Potter's best friend?" He asked, still in disbelief. He took a napkin, wiping the remnants of his food off of his face.

"Yes, Hermione Granger,"

"Why were you with her?" Dean asked, his voice lowering into a hushed whisper.

"It wasn't intentional," Cedric whispered.

"Or was it?"

"No! I must have taken her table or something, it was well hidden. I didn't know it was there actually, but she obviously did. I didn't want to be rude so I let her sit down, she wrote an essay and I just looked through a Herbology book. That's all," Cedric said, hoping this wouldn't go over his friend's head.

"So you guys didn't talk?"

"We did. I let her borrow my ink, that's all,"

Dean eyed his friend suspiciously, before nodding, though Cedric knew he didn't believe him. "Okay, if you say so."

Cedric set his fork down, suddenly not hungry. He turned around, looking back at the Ravenclaw table to find Cho. He spotted her immediately, talking to her friend Marietta, who turned to look at him moments after he did. She smiled briefly, before turning back towards Marietta, giggling like crazy.

The brown haired boy smiled, turning back around. His eyes wandered to the Gryffindor table, just in time to see Hermione stand up with her friend Ron. Cedric's smile faltered slightly, watching them get up together and head towards the entrance. Not before Hermione looked his way, finding his eyes briefly before turning away, walking out of the hall with her red head of a friend.

Cedric couldn't help but grin, picking up his utensil, suddenly feeling his appetite come back. He secretly hoped he would be able to see Hermione in the library again, he found her very fascinating, and he wanted to get to know the young witch.

Dean, who saw the whole thing, smiled, knowing that there was something Ced wasn't telling him. He didn't care, he just wished Cedric didn't feel the need to hide anything from him. He was only curious about the thought of Cedric having a crush on a younger woman, it was just curiosity really.

Meanwhile, Hermione walked with Ronald back to the Gryffindor common room. He needed help with his essay, and Hermione felt that they needed to start now, and not wait.

"Hermione, if you had a boyfriend, you would tell Harry and I, right?"

The bookworm looked at him, frowning. "Of course I would. You're my friends,"

The redhead stayed quiet for a moment, before he nodded.

"Why?"

Ronald looked at her, shrugging. "I dunno. Just curious,"

**XXX**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sadly I do not own Harry Potter, It all belongs to the wonderful and talented J.K. Rowling**

**Which means I do not own Cedric, which also means if I did he would still be alive and well today and he would have indeed married Hermione. **

**#ProudHufflepuff**

**x Enjoy x**

**Friday, December 8th**

_It has been two weeks since I have talked to him._

Hermione Granger closed her book. It was now December, and she has not heard from Diggory in two weeks. She couldn't help but wonder why it had bothered her so much. She only spoke to him for all but twenty minutes, and yet she was dying to talk to him again. She has seen him around the corridors of course, accompanied by his friends, and of course his Ravenclaw girlfriend. Hermione didn't have the nerve to approach him in front of his usual bunch, so she decided to steer clear of him at all costs when he wasn't alone. She didn't want to be a burden, and she was almost positive he would not want her company. I mean, why would he? She isn't anything of importance to him. He had his friends, and of course his girlfriend. He wouldn't care for a fourth year Gryffindor, especially one that is friends with one of his rivals in the Triwizard Tournament.

It was the third period of the day, and she was in the library. In her little alcove she sat and read _Hogwarts: A History_. She originally had wanted to come in search of a new book, but she caved and instead caught up on her reading. She has read this book many times before, but every time she read it, she learned something new. That was her prize of reading a book more than once; every time you read it, you find something you have not known before. And it makes the book even better than before. It just gets better and better every time.

She sat back in her chair, taking a deep breath as she observed the book cover in front of her. She wasn't quite sure why she was feeling so gloomy. Maybe it was because the chair next to her wasn't being occupied by a certain Hufflepuff. She loved being alone as much as the next person, but it was always nice to be with somebody you don't normally talk to.

Not long after, she heard a soft knock on the bookshelf behind her. She turned, her heart beating erratically for just a moment.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Hermione stared for a moment, surprised that he was _here_. She thought about him only moments ago.

"N-no, go right ahead," She said, moving her shoulder bag off of the chair next to her, trying to hide her grin.

The Hufflepuff smiled, weaving his way through the rather tight entry way, clutching his Herbology book tightly to his chest. He made his way over to the table, setting his book down, setting his own bag on the floor. He took a seat, adjusting his robes, as if trying to be more comfortable. He smiled at the young witch, settling into his spot, flipping open the cover of his book. She smiled in retaliation; finding it very hard not to. He had a contagious smile.

"I hope I'm not intruding on anything." Cedric said, knowing perfectly well that she was alone. He had kept his eyes on her the past twenty minutes, sitting at a table off to the side, just enough so that he could barely make her out from where his table was. He couldn't find the courage to ask her sooner; he hasn't heard from her in about two weeks. He sought after her of course, he saw her in the corridors, and in the Great Hall during meal times, but he just couldn't find the time to actually speak to her. He was trying to balance time between his school work, figuring out the egg, and making sure Cho didn't feel ignored. He didn't want to have to deal with any pointless drama over his schedule being busy - she wouldn't take any excuses if she was feeling cheated out of his affection.

"No, you're fine, I was just doing a bit of light reading," The bookworm said, picking up her book, flipping to her most recent chapter. She was just getting started on the secret corridors throughout the school. By now she could tell anybody where they all were, she has not gone to explore them of course, but she wanted to. She just didn't have the time.

The Hufflepuff nodded, mimicking her actions by turning to his own recent page. He didn't have any particular reason to read it, he basically just wanted an excuse to be in the library to talk to her. It's the only way they could interact really.

They stayed quiet for several minutes, keeping to themselves as they read their separate books. Cedric couldn't help but continuously glance over at the young Gryffindor, her eyelashes would occasionally flutter against her cheeks every time she blinked. And he was mesmerized by their natural length. He could tell the difference between real and artificial. Meaning Cho wore mascara every day, making them long, and dark, though sometimes they stuck together because of the goo. But Hermione's were naturally dark, long, and evenly spaced out. No clumps. They shaped her eyes very nicely..

After a while, they shut their books at the same time. They looked at each other, a little surprised. Hermione cleared her throat, looking away after a few seconds. Cedric doing the same.

"How is the egg coming along?" Hermione asked, referring to his progress with the second task. She was uncomfortable in the complete silence, knowing that if she wanted him to stay she would have to make conversation.

Cedric sighed, sitting back into his chair. "It's not looking too good at the moment. Whenever I open it, it screams at me. It's painful really, and loud. I can't figure out how I'm supposed to get it to work, since it yells at me, it obviously has a voice; it has something to say to me, but it won't _say it_." The Hufflepuff said, becoming annoyed with the thoughts of the egg. "If you don't mind me asking, Is Harry having the same problem?" He asked the Gryffindor witch, just curious. "It's driving me absolutely mad not knowing if I'm the only Champion having this issue."

Hermione perked up, glad to hear that Harry wasn't the only one struggling with the egg. "Harry's egg screams at him too. I mean, he's only opened it one time, he's not particularly motivated in trying to figure it out to be honest.. He didn't even want to be a Triwizard Champion in the first place." Hermione asked, feeling her stomach drop uncomfortably. "But he doesn't want to try to figure it out, and knowing Harry he will wait last-minute, and then he will be totally unprepared for when the second task arrives, and I don't even know what would happen." The young witch frowned, a little annoyed with herself. She didn't mean to get too ahead of herself, but she couldn't help it. Harry's safety meant everything to her, and with his name being entered in the Goblet, she knew somebody was definitely out to hurt him.

Cedric frowned, allowing what she said to sink in. He felt a little better, knowing that he obviously isn't the only Champion that has a screaming egg. But he felt bothered that she was a nervous wreck about her friends' safety. On Halloween night, Cedric didn't believe that Harry did _not_ put his name into the Goblet. He couldn't help himself, he could only believe that Harry was trying to have another fifteen minutes of fame. Though he know has it for a lifetime, he now knows it wasn't Harry who entered his own name in. It was clearly somebody else who wants Harry dead. How would a fourth year know how to defeat a Hungarian Horntail? They couldn't. The poor lad was extremely lucky to get away uninjured, besides a few cuts and bruises of course. He didn't know how Harry did it, because he knew his fourth year self would have most definitely been killed. And he wasn't dumb either. It's just too advanced for a kid his age.

"Do you think somebody is out to hurt Harry?" Cedric asked, not wanting to admit that he thought the same thing. He wanted to hear what she had to say first.

"Yes. I do, Cedric, Harry doesn't want this, he just wants to be a normal wizard. He doesn't want all of this fame with You-Know-Who and this stupid Tournament! He just wants to have a normal life. And whether he was famous before, he wouldn't even think of entering his name into this game to begin with. Somebody else put his name in there, and they somehow enchanted it to insure that he would be chosen."

Hermione frowned, feeling her eyes begin to burn with the oncoming threat of tears. She didn't want to cry, especially not in front of Cedric. She didn't want to appear weak.

"Hermione, I.. I don't believe Harry entered his name into the Goblet either."

Hermione blinked, looking at him in disbelief. "You don't?.."

"No. I mean, I did, at first. But I couldn't really help it."

The Gryffindor nodded, understanding what he meant. If she hadn't known Harry, there was a big chance she would have thought the same thing. She wasn't one for gossip, or judging for that matter, but she also couldn't deny that she wouldn't think that very same thought. She would be lying to herself.

"I know Cedric. I think.. I think a lot of people know the truth now, besides the Slytherins, they think of it as another ploy to renew his fame. Not that he needs to anyway.. He already has eternal glory, in a way."

The Hufflepuff nodded in agreement.

They stayed quiet for a few minutes, until the bell rang. It was now fourth period, and Hermione needed to get to Double Potions. She stood up, gathering her book and her bag quickly. Cedric watched her quietly.

Before she could exit, he stood up, calling her name. "Hermione?"

The witch paused, her mouth opening briefly as her stomach tingled when her name slipped off of his tongue. She turned, her mouth shutting quickly. "Yes?"

The Hufflepuff hesitated for a moment, feeling his heart beat erratically in his chest. "Um.. Do you think we could meet here tomorrow?" He asked, feeling his voice tremble slightly due to his overactive nerves. He never reacted to this way with any other girl, and he couldn't stop himself from reacting this way with her.

The Gryffindor blinked, before a smile blossomed on her lips, nodding. "Yeah.. We can meet up," She held her book tighter to her chest, unable to stop her grin.

The Hufflepuff grinned as well, his heartbeat continuing to beat quickly, watching her smile. "Good… Great, I'll see you tomorrow," He said, his grin growing wider.

She grinned in return, taking a step backwards, keeping her eyes on him. "I'll see you tomorrow," She said, before turning and walking out of the library.

Her grin did not falter at all for the rest of the day. Harry and Ronald were both amused; they have never seen Hermione so happy a day in their life. And it was quite the sight to see.

"What do you reckon is making her so happy?" Ron asked Harry while Snape's back was turned to the board, reviewing over the importance of Antidotes.

"Do you think it could be a boy?" Harry asked, finding it a little odd to think of a boy making Hermione happy. She wasn't boy crazy like most girls her age, so why should they believe that is what was making her so happy?"

"A boy making Hermione happy? Do you know how mad that is? We're talking about Hermione here, Harry, she doesn't date-"

"Perhaps Mr. Weasley would like to tell us the most simple antidote of them all?" Snape sneered, clearly aware of the fact that they were talking during his class. It was highly frowned upon, and whoever was caught better be ready to lose house points.

Ronald swallowed, not knowing the answer. And Snape knew this, because they have not yet discussed this topic fully, and because of this Gryffindor lost thirty house points; Ten from each for talking in his class, and another ten for not knowing the answer. It was a long class for the two boys.

Meanwhile, Cedric sat on the couch in the Hufflepuff common room, tossing the egg around in his hands with a grin on his face. He couldn't seem to shake it off, and he didn't know if he wanted to. It was an incredible feeling that he didn't want to go away.

"What is that smile for?" Cedric's closest friend, Anthony Fournier asked. The two boys have been best friends for years. It was a wonder that he was sorted into the Hufflepuff House; he had a wit for learning, and he was very creative and intelligent. He would have done well in Ravenclaw, but for reasons unknown, he was put into Hufflepuff. Not that they had any objections, Cedric enjoyed having his best friend in the same house; it made for a better learning experience, and it was also fun to just have another friend to goof off with at night time and during free periods. (When Cedric wasn't at the library of course)

"No particular reason," Cedric said, setting the golden egg onto the table in front of him. He moved his legs so his fellow friend could have a seat.

"Are you sure? That's one hell of a smile that you have going on." Anthony said, sitting down at the other end of the couch. He set his feet on the table, crossing them as he sat back against the cushions.

"Am I not allowed to smile?" The sixth year asked.

"Yes. But it can't be as huge as that. I'm surprised your face isn't hurting by now," The raven haired teen asked, his icy blue eyes settling on Cedric's form next to him. "Come on, tell me what's up." He said, nudging Cedric's foot with his own. "Did you and Cho do some heavy snogging before you came here?" He asked with a grin.

Cedric rolled his eyes, letting his head fall back against the cushions. "No. And it actually has nothing to do with Cho." He said.

The smile faltered on the dark haired boy's face, sitting up as he looked at his friend. "Then why are you smiling like that?"

"Why does it matter? Can't a person smile in peace?"

"Not if you don't say why you're smiling."

"I'm just in a good mood!"

"Is it a girl?"

Cedric stayed quiet.

"So it is a girl." Anthony said, though it wasn't a question.

Cedric continued to stay quiet.

"Who is it?"

"It's nobody."

"You're lying."

"And if I'm not?"

Anthony squinted at his friend, becoming tired of his games. "I just want to know,"

"I don't think I want you to know," Cedric said, frowning as he sat up. He was ready to go down to the Great Hall for some much needed food.

"Does Dean know?" Anthony asked, although he already knew the answer.

".. Yes,"

"So why can't you tell me?" The Hufflepuff asked.

Cedric sighed, knowing that it was unfair to tell Dean and not his best friend. "Okay, I'll tell you. JUST don't tell anybody else, especially Cho. She would bugger out if she were to know."

"Hey man, secret safe with me," Anthony crossed his fingers. "No spill, who in the hell is special enough to make you smile like a complete creeper?"

Cedric gave him a look. He rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath before answering. "I was talking to Hermione Granger today," He said, hoping that Anthony wouldn't think anything of it. He would lie to avoid the headache.

Anthony frowned, letting what Cedric said sink in. "The fourth year?"

Cedric nodded, the smile creeping back. "Yeah. _Her._"

"Why were you talking to her?" Anthony asked out of honest curiosity. "She's friends with Harry Potter, your enemy."

"Harry is not my enemy," The sixth year frowned. He didn't think of any of the Champions as his enemy. Especially not Harry, they were from the same school for Merlin's sake!

"Okay, your rival,"

"That's basically the same thing." Cedric interjected.

"It doesn't matter. The point is, Harry is your opponent in this tournament Cedric. Who happens to be really good friends with this Granger girl. She isn't Harry for obvious reasons, but you can't go and talk to her! If you give her any information about the next task, who's to say she won't go and give it to Harry? There is no secrecy if you actually think about it for a second."

"Hermione wouldn't do that. And she's smart enough that she could figure this stuff out by herself. If I thought she would _cheat_, then I wouldn't tell her anything about this tournament." The Hufflepuff boy frowned, knowing that he did not tolerate cheating of any kind. He was a Hufflepuff, therefore he prided himself in loyalty and honesty. If he had even the slightest thought that Granger would betray him in any way whatsoever, he wouldn't even give her the time of day. He knew it sounded harsh, but it's just the way things were. It's the way it had to be for any type of relationship if he wanted it to work.

The dark haired boy stayed quiet for a moment, observing his friend who sat next to him. He knew that whoever Cedric talked to was none of his business. But he didn't want his friend to be cheated in this tournament. Believe it or not it is a big deal that a Hufflepuff was chosen as a Champion. Hufflepuffs were thought to be the weaker house, and they are often frowned upon. Especially by the Slytherins. And while he sat and watched his best friend battle a ferocious dragon just weeks ago, he knew that this was not all fun and games. Somebody could be seriously hurt or worse; killed. And he was even more worried since Cedric was nearest and dearest friend, he was worried for his safety. Though all in all, he knew Ced could do it.

"Okay," The Hufflepuff sighed, standing up, looking down at the champion, "If you think she's trustworthy enough, then be my guest," He headed for the portrait hole. "I just hope you're right."

"I am.." Cedric whispered to himself as his friend left.

**XXX**

Once dinner had arrived, the golden trio sat down at the Gryffindor table, sitting in their usual spots. Hermione, who had not stopped smiling one bit, looked around her group of friends, thinking that absolutely nothing could ruin her mood. She was looking forward to their meeting tomorrow, and this was the first time since the World Cup that she has actually been excited for something. Though she wasn't entirely fond of Quidditch, she found it to be exciting, that was until the Death Eaters took over of course..

While the rest of the students continued to pile into the hall, the rest of the students waited for the food to be served. Ron rubbed his belly in discomfort; obviously unable to wait to eat. He was hungry all the time. Hermione wondered how he could eat so much, but stay so thin at the same time.

The Gryffindor chewed on her lip, looking past Ronald and Harry to the Hufflepuff table. She knew who she was looking for. Her eyes casually scanned the crowd of Hufflepuffs, not finding him. He must not be here yet. She took a deep breath, rubbing her hands together as she thought back to earlier when they had talked in the library. He truly was easy to get along with, and she liked that.

Her gaze wandered over to the entrance, doing a double take when she realized Cedric was there, holding Cho by the waist as they walked in together. She frowned, trying to ignore the achy feeling in her chest. She shook it off, knowing that it couldn't have anything to do with Cho and Cedric. She watched as they kissed, how he pulled her closer, how his hand grabbing onto her robes before they released; walking over to their respective tables. She felt her stomach drop slightly, very unsure as to why she was acting this way. She didn't feel any romantic feelings towards the boy.

Or so she thought.

"Hermione, what the bloody hell are you staring at?" Ron asked, pulling her out of her reverie. The bookworm blinked, turning to face the two boys staring at her with mild curiosity.

"Oh, nothing.. Just thought I saw something." She lied, looking down at her plate that was empty compared to everyone else's.

The two boys shared a glance, before returning to their meal. Hermione was happy they didn't pester her over it. Though she was sure they knew she lied to them.

"Have you tried to figure out the egg, Harry?" She asked after a few moments of silence between the three Gryffindors. She took a bite of her food, watching him as she chewed. She already knew the answer, but wanted him to work on trying to figure it out.

"No, I haven't. The next task isn't for another two months, Hermione." Harry said, giving her a look.

"Yeah, he has plenty of time to figure it out." Ronald intervened, actually taking the time to swallow his food before he spoke.

"That's not the point! Harry, Cedric can't even figure out how to keep the egg from screaming at him every time he opens it. What makes you think you'll be able to figure it out sooner? I mean I know Cedric is more advanced than us but-"

"Wait wait wait, hold up," Ronald said, looking between Harry and Hermione. "How do you know Diggory can't figure out the egg?" He asked, his brow arching at the young witch. "Are you two friends?" He asked, catching the attention of Ginny.

Hermione sighed in frustration. This was exactly what she needed. "We're more like acquaintances really.. But that's not the point. The point _is_, not even somebody as advanced as Cedric knows how to figure it out. What makes you think it would be any different? You need to get down to business and _figure it out,_" She said, looking at her two boys. "And you Ronald Weasley, don't encourage him to hold it off, he needs to get started now!"

"Harry is a big boy, he could figure it out himself. He found out about the dragons."

"Yes, he found out because _Hagrid_ told him. Teachers aren't supposed to help students with these tasks. And who's to say Harry would receive help this time?"

The boys stayed quiet for a moment, sharing a brief look before returning back to their food. Hermione sighed. She didn't get through to them. _Again._

After a few minutes silence, Harry reached over and laid his hand on top of hers. "Okay. I promise, I will be more diligent with the egg."

The young bookworm smiled, relieved that he will take the second task more seriously.

After dessert, the trio headed back to the Gryffindor common room. On the way, Ginny came up beside Hermione, tugging on her arm, causing her to fall behind Harry and Ronald.

"I need to talk to you," the redhead said to Hermione, keeping a tight grip on her arm. The two boys looked back, watching the two girls. Hermione waved them on, bidding to catch up with them later.

"What is it, Ginny?"

"I don't believe that you and Cedric are just 'acquaintances',"

"It's not nice to eavesdrop." The brunette replied.

"I was most certainly not eavesdropping. You three were talking loud enough for me to hear."

"Ginny, it's really not any of your business what goes on between me and Cedric,"

"So there _is_ something going on between you two?"

"We're just _friends._ Friends!"

The redhead huffed, crossing her arms as a group of Ravenclaws passed the two girls conversing in the corridors. "Just _friends_ don't watch each other from across the room."

Hermione watched Ginny for a moment. "You saw that?"

"Yes. I saw you watching Diggory and Cho from across the room. And there's no denying it now, you just admitted to it."

Hermione mentally cursed herself. There was no getting out of this now. She just doomed herself.

"Come on, Lavender and Parvati want to talk to you," She said, grabbing a hold on Hermione's hand, tugging her to the stairs.

She knew that this was going to be a long evening.

**XXX**

"Where were you today?" Cho asked her Hufflepuff boyfriend as they held hands, walking towards the Ravenclaw common room. Cedric always took her here before he returned to his own alcove in the basement. The Ravenclaws were all the way up at the high tower of the school, which meant Cedric had to walk from top to bottom every night.

"Well, I was in the library, the common roo-"

"Library? When?" Cho interrupted, looking up at her boyfriend.

"Third period," He said, a slight frown creasing his forehead. Cho wasn't one for interrupting somebody mid sentence, unless it was something extremely important, therefore she could not have waited any longer to say what she wanted to say.

"Oh.." The Ravenclaw frowned, her eyes sliding away from his. She was in the library third period, for the later half anyways. And she didn't see him. He was probably just on the other end, she thought to herself. If he knew she was there he would have come and sat with her.

"Is there a problem?" Cedric asked, his eyes filled with worry. He could sense that she was thinking about something that was clearly bugging her.

"No, no, I was just thinking," The dark-haired girl said as they approached the Ravenclaw's portrait.

The Hufflepuff nodded. He realized that she didn't want to talk about it. In time, if it was still bugging her, she could cave and tell him eventually. He would just have to wait it out.

Cho gripped Cedric's robes in her hand, tugging his body into hers, their lips pressing together soundly. Cedric had a knack for gripping her robes when they kissed as well. He found that keeping a tight grip on anything but Cho herself was better than being too rough with her. He was a teenage boy after all.

After a few minutes of heavy snogging, Cho released the Hufflepuff, straightening out her hair that was now messed up due to Cedric's fingers weaving themselves in her locks. She smiled at him while she ran her fingers through her hair; and he smiled in return. They bid each other goodnight.

On his way back downstairs, Cedric thought about his future plans with Hermione tomorrow. It wasn't until he got into the common room that he realized he didn't tell Cho he would be busy. He paused in the middle of the room, causing a few heads to turn in curiousity. How was he supposed to explain to his girlfriend that he had made plans to hang out with another girl?

_Hey Cho, I forgot to tell you this, but I sort of made plans with a girl named Hermione Granger. I'm meeting her today, but you don't mind, right?_

Wrong.

**XXX**

**I started this chapter on Sunday, which was the same day that I have posted chapter 3. As I am typing this, it is now Monday, September 22nd. I really want to post this now, but if I do, I will have to wait a whole other week to update again, and I don't want to do that. The finishing product of chapter 4 is eleven pages long. Hopefully I would have more chapters this long in the future. If not they would be very close.**

**Until next time,**

**She Has Telekinesis**

**(Whoever gets this reference is awesome) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Sadly I do not own Harry Potter, it all belongs to the wonderful and talented**

**J.K. Rowling**

**If I did, Umbridge would have mysteriously fallen from a cliff.**

**#Hufflepuff Pride**

**I've had quite a few of you ask if Cedric will survive. The thing is, I do not even know myself.**

**You'll have to wait to find out.**

The next morning both Cedric and Hermione had jumped out of bed rather early; unable to wait until they would meet in the library. Though the burden of not telling Cho was heavy on his shoulders, he couldn't seem to find it in himself to be in a bad mood. He was rather excited to meet the young Gryffindor girl in the library. And he knew he would have to tell his girlfriend he had plans for the day, before she made some for him. And who knows, maybe she has plans of her own? He could be off of the hook for all he knew.

Cedric had arrived rather late to breakfast. Hermione was already with her usual group of friends at the Gryffindor table. And the Cho was nowhere to be found. He took the opportunity.

The Hufflepuff went to the Gryffindor table, leaning down to whisper in Hermione's ear; much to the surprise of surrounding Gryffindors and Hermione herself.

"Care to meet me at noon?" He asked the young witch, his breath tickling her ear lightly as he spoke.

Hermione shivered involuntarily. Staring ahead at the two boys in front of her who watched the older Hufflepuff closely.

"That is fine with me.." She said quietly, turning to look at the older boy standing behind her.

They smiled at each other.

**xxx**

Once eleven o'clock had rolled around, Cedric was occupied with Cho. They had spent the past two hours in the courtyard, huddled close together while the snow fell around them. They didn't do this often, but Diggory loved the snow. He has ever since he was a kid. And it sort of just stuck with him for all these years.

"What do you want to do today?" Cho asked, moving closer to him under Cedric's cloak; embracing herself in his body heat.

Cedric's brow furrowed. He had not expected her to ask him this question. Of course she always asked this on the weekends. It was the only two days they could be together with no interruptions. And he wasn't sure why this question surprised him so much. He figured it had something to do with the fact that he still has not told her about his plans with Granger.

"About that," The Hufflepuff started, looking down at his Ravenclaw girlfriend.

"Are you not wanting to hang out today?" She asked, a frown of her own flashed across her features. She seemed genuinely upset.

"No no no, it's not that I'm not wanting to. It's just that.. I sort of, already have plans." He said, fumbling over his own words.

"With who?"

This was where Cedric was stuck. Should he tell her who he was going to be with? He was a Hufflepuff. He valued honesty. And who was he to go and lie to his own girlfriend? He would be violating the Hufflepuff code. But at the same time he did not want Cho to be angry with him. And then he didn't want to lie. He was in a pickle.

"Cedric, you can tell me who you're going to be with." She grasped his hand in her own.

Cedric swallowed. "I made plans with Hermione Granger.." He said quietly, watching as a group of Gryffindors passed the sitting couple.

It was silent.

"You have plans with another girl?" She asked, a slight edge to her voice.

The Hufflepuff nodded.

"And when was this?"

".. Just last night,"

"And you're just now telling me this?" Cho asked, releasing his hand.

"Yes. Cho, please don't be mad. It's not-"

"What are you going to do with _Granger?_ How is she of any importance to you?"

Cedric glared at her. "That's quite rude of you to say," Cho was never this mean. "And we're just going to the library. It's nothing to get all worked up over." He said, his glare slowly ceasing to nothing.

The Ravenclaw sighed, looking down at her feet. "Yeah. You're right."

"I know I am."

"I'm sorry.. I really can't help but be jealous, you know?" She said, taking his hand back into hers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's okay." Cedric said, giving her a little smile which she returned.

The couple eased their way out of Cedric's cloak; standing up with their fingers intertwined they started back into the castle, their cheeks cold and rosy from being outside for so long.

"Let me warm you up," The Ravenclaw said, stopping once they got into the warmth of the corridors. She threw her arms around his neck; her fingers weaving their way through his hair, pressing her lips to his in a deep kiss.

_Your ass is saved, Ced._

_xxx_

"Herm-own-ninny?"

Hermione had stopped walking at the calling of, what she had presumed, was her name. It was ten minutes before noon, and she was on her way to the library to meet with Cedric. She had never heard that voice before; or even that name. Perhaps whoever it was wasn't calling to _her. _

"Herm-own-ninny?"

She turned around this time to see who was calling her. Or to possibly see if this person was even real, or if she was just imagining it.

When she turned around she was greeted with the sight of the one and only Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum. To say Granger was confused would be an understatement. She never imagined that she would be close enough to say anything to the guy. She wasn't attracted to him per se, and his fame meant absolutely nothing to her whatsoever. But she couldn't stop herself from being a little shocked that he would be calling to her. Well, at least _trying _to pronounce her name.

"Are you talking to me?" The young Grffindor asked the older student. She mentally cursed herself. She hadn't meant to sound so rude. Perhaps he just misheard how to pronounce her name. Or maybe that's just what he thought her name was?

"Yes. I've been vanting to ask you something important," the Bulgarian said, keeping a polite distance between himself and Hermione.

Hermione checked her watch. She now had two minutes until noon. She did not want to be late. She was actually hoping to be there before him. She didn't want Viktor to keep her for too long, Diggory just might take it as ditching. Or a set up.

"Okay.. Go ahead, Viktor."

"I vas just vondering if you had any plans today?" He said on his thick accent. "I vas vondering if you vanted to spend the day vith me?"

_Why am I so popular all of a sudden?_

"T-today?" She asked, wondering if she was just imagining things. This couldn't be happening. Why are all of these guys so interested in spending time with her all of a sudden? Especially ones she hasn't talked to a day in her life.

_And on the days she actually has plans._

"Yes."

Oh Viktor, I'm sorry but I already have plans today." She said.

The Bulgarian nodded in understanding. "Tomorrow then," he said, taking his leave before Hermione could say anything else.

She frowned, looking around at some of the wandering students who had stopped to watch the two students. She didn't agree to anything, what makes him think?..

She sighed, turning around she hurried to the library where she was now running a few minutes behind.

xxx

Cedric tapped his quill nervously against his book. It was just a few minutes after twelve, and Granger wasn't here yet. He hadn't really expected her to be here before him, considering he was in her normal spot a good ten minutes before their agreed time. But he also wasn't counting on her being late; he had thought of her to be a pretty punctual human being. At least, that's what he has heard from most of the younger students.

_She might just be behind, Ced, don't think anything of it._

He trilled his lips, turning around for the umpteeth time, checking to see if she was anywhere in sight. She wasn't, and disappointed, he turned back around.

_Did she forget?_

_You just reminded her this morning. How could she forget?_

The better question is: _why _would she forget?

_Maybe she stood you up?_

_Can't you just leave me alone?_

_She's not coming, it's obvious._

_Shut up._

Cedric sighed, taking another brief look behind him. Still no Hermione in sight.

He opened his _Advanced Transfiguration_ book, looking at its table of contents. He pegged it as a way to try to distract himself from further mental abuse. She had to be coming, Hermione did not seem like the type who would fall through with plans without informing the other party that she would not be able to attend.

_Maybe she already had plans? _

_Then why would she accept my invitation? _

"I'm sorry I'm late," Hermione said, rushing into their little alcove, slamming her books down onto the space next to Cedric who had jumped in surprise. He looked at his watch. It was fifteen past twelve.

"I thought you ditched," He said honestly, moving his books and parchment over so she could have room.

"Never. Um, Somebody stopped to talk to me in the corridors. I ran behind."

He tilted his head at the young Gryffindor. "And who was it, may I ask?"

She stopped, chewing on her bottom lip as she looked at him for a moment. "It was nobody. Nothing important,"

"I'll take that I can get." The Hufflepuff said, content in her answer. If she deduced it wasn't important, who was he to try to invade her privacy? They barely knew each other as it was. He didn't want to get off on the wrong foot.

Hermione took out her own book. She set it on the table and flipped quickly through the pages. She was halfway through the book when she finally stopped. She took out her own piece of parchment, and a quill. All while Cedric watched her.

Hermione squirmed in her seat under his gaze. She could feel his eyes burning into her skull. She was used to people staring, but never like this. It was entirely different from what she was used to. It felt.. Weird, to say the least.

"May I ask what you are doing?" Cedric asked, gripping his own quill tighter in his hand. He knew that she knew he was watching her. He just couldn't help it, everything she did completely fascinated him. And he wasn't sure why. He has watched countless of other girls do the same thing. Not that he was watching of course. But there was something totally different with her. She moved so diligently; and he felt himself become so fascinated by the way she moved.

"I'm taking notes for our next lesson,"

"What's your next lesson?"

"The banishing charm."

"That is a very interesting subject."

"Is that a fact?"

"Opinion, more like."

"Yours?"

"Absolutely." the Hufflepuff said.

Hermione pursued her lips, watching him as she picked up her quill. She slowly smiled, turning her attention back to her book. "I will take your opinion into consideration." She grinned, before adverting her attention to the first paragraph of the chapter.

"I would like to think my opinion is right." Cedric said.

"I'm not saying it wouldn't be."

"Because you know it's correct?" the Hufflepuff asked, pulling his own book towards him.

The Gryffindor girl continued to smile at her book. Her face was starting to hurt from smiling so much.

Meanwhile, Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecomb met at the library entrance, both coming from searching the area for Cedric.

"Did you see him?" Cho asked her Ravenclaw friend, who shook her head while she walked over to Cho.

"Are you sure he said the library at twelve o'clock?" Asked Marietta.

"Yes. He specifically said he is meeting Hermione Granger at the _library at noon_." Cho said angrily, crossing her arms as she took a swift peek one last time.

"Do you think he lied?"

Cho looked at her friend. Cedric was never one for lying, and she knows she has the exact time and place where he said he is going to be with Granger. But he, no, neither of them were anywhere to be found. The thought angered her. He lied, to spend time with another girl?

With _Granger?_

"Well I know one thing," Cho said, walking away from the doors. Causing Marietta to run after her best friend. "This little relationship with Granger is going to _stop."_

**I'm sorry it's such a late update,**

**the chapter isn't the best in my opinion,**

**but it's just a little filler for what is next to come. **


End file.
